


Stay With Me

by ElvenSorceress



Category: Rent - Larson
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-15
Updated: 2006-05-15
Packaged: 2017-11-25 20:33:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/642697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElvenSorceress/pseuds/ElvenSorceress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roger is sick. Mark is worried.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay With Me

Mark didn’t like to think about a lot of things. 

What he’d have to lie about the next time his mother called, Maureen and Joanne in bed together, Mimi dying, Collins getting sick. 

But even if he did end up thinking about those things, it was nowhere near the wrenching pain he felt as he walked through the park with Roger. His roommate stopped all of a sudden and looked like he was biting his tongue. Mark spun and focused concerned eyes on him. 

Turning away, Roger stifled a cough. 

Just a cough. It meant nothing. Mark quickly asked if he was ok and since Roger nodded and kept walking, Mark followed. 

A few minutes later, Roger brought a hand to his mouth and coughed again. 

Mark could only stare intently, listening to the horrible wet wracking sounds that came from his friend. His sick friend. It twisted Mark’s insides. And made them icily cold. 

But Roger tossed his head and kept walking. This time when Mark followed, he began to lead them home. 

Roger coughed again a couple blocks from the loft, gasping for breath each time air was forcefully expelled from his lungs. 

Mark watched, feeling his insides grow colder. 

Roger glanced at him. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Stop coughing,” Mark shot back though his voice was soft. Eerily calm. 

Roger looked guilty and continued home.

After climbing the stairs, Roger walked stiffly to the couch. He sat like he was exhausted and took shallow breaths. 

Mark went to the kitchen and looked to see if they had soup or something warm he could make for Roger. He settled on mint tea and then knelt in front of the couch, offering it to his roommate. 

Roger shook his head. 

“It wasn’t a request,” Mark said.

Tired, green eyes stared at Mark. “I’m fine,” he insisted.

“I know you are,” Mark promised, though he felt like he was lying.

Relenting, Roger accepted the cup and took a sip. 

Mark sat beside him and debated whether it was a good thing that Roger didn’t fight him on this. He watched Roger finish the tea and sink further into the sofa. 

With a sigh, Mark took Roger’s hand, pulled him from the couch and led him to the bedroom. Roger sat on the edge of his bed and took off his shoes and jeans, sliding under one blanket.

Mark stood awkwardly. “Do you need anything?”

Roger shook his head and Mark turned to leave. 

“Wait,” Roger quickly said and reached for Mark’s hand. “Stay with me?” he asked softly.

It made Mark want to cry. And he didn’t cry. Not for a long time. Not since everything in his life these days tried to bring him to tears. He discarded his own shoes and went to sit beside his roommate. 

Roger rolled and pulled Mark down beside him, one arm sliding around Mark’s torso. He closed his eyes for a few moments relaxing into Mark’s fingers unconsciously stroking his back. 

Mark felt his own heart pound in his chest, like it was being crushed every time it pulsed. He held Roger more tightly. 

“Mark?” Roger whispered and opened his eyes.

“Yeah?”

Roger stared into blue depths for a long moment. He swallowed and licked his lips. “I love you.”

Mark swore his aching heart burst. He fought to hold off the tears that stung his eyes. “Stop it,” he hissed.

Roger looked confused. “What?”

“Stop doing this! Stop saying goodbye!”

“Mark,” Roger whispered softly.

“No! Stop it. You said it yourself – you’re fine!” Mark’s hands clenched in Roger’s shirt. “I don’t want you to start with all this ‘I have to say goodbye’ shit!”

“Mark,” he pleaded, staring with apologetic eyes.

“No!” Mark shrieked again, holding so hard to Roger he was nearly shaking the other man. “Stop with this apathetic bullshit. You’re giving up. Stop fucking giving up!”

“Mark.”

“No,” he sobbed. “Please, Roger. No. I can’t…don’t tell me goodbye. Not yet. Not ever. It’s…it’s just a cough. Please, please don’t. Just… don’t.”

“Mark, I...”

“NO! Fucking STOP.”

Roger stared sadly, then pulled Mark to him, holding his head and pressing their lips together. 

For a second, the ice inside Mark thawed. He melted into Roger’s soft warmth and dreamed of drowning, never wanting to resurface.

Slowly, Roger pulled away. His bottom lip stuck to Mark’s and he kissed him again, quickly this time, before leaning back and looking at him. He stroked Mark’s face and through his hair. “I love you,” he said again. “I just wanted to tell you.”

Mark stared, dumbfounded. “You... kissed me?”

Roger nodded. 

“You love me like you kiss me?” Mark realized that statement probably wouldn’t make much sense. “You love me the way… where you kiss me like that?”

Roger sighed. “I love you every way you can think of.”

Mark thought quietly. “Does that... mean I can... kiss you?”

A smile spread across Roger’s face. “Yeah. If you want.”

Mark’s hand quickly tangled in the long hair at Roger’s neck. He pulled Roger forward and kissed him wetly, insistently. Even deeper than before and Roger moaned against his mouth. 

After a minute, Roger broke away and coughed into his arm. 

Mark stroked his head, worried. “You ok?”

“Yeah. It’s just a cough.”

Mark didn’t look convinced. 

“I promise. I smoked for years, remember? I’m ok.”

“Ok,” Mark said reluctantly. 

Looking away sorrowfully, Roger settled into Mark’s arms, his head on Mark’s shoulder, his arm holding the other man to him. He smiled as he remembered all the times he’d gotten to have Mark close like this. “I always loved sleeping with you.”

Mark tensed a bit and looked down. “What?”

“Sleeping. Actual sleeping,” he clarified with a smirk that said his wording was deliberate. “I loved when you stayed with me.”

“I liked it, too,” Mark said, tying to ignore the warmth and the bursting that still engulfed his chest. “Roger?”

“Hmm?” he asked drowsily.

“Stay with me.”

Contentedly, Roger hummed and burrowed closer. “Always.”


End file.
